Pantyhose - Were they meant for women or men?

Ever wondered whether pantyhose were invented for women or ... men?

If you look around and read posts in the forums or chatrooms, you will find that a lot of women are grumbling about the "evils" of wearing pantyhose. Complaining that pantyhose are hot, makes their legs sweating, difficult to wear, runs too easily, waistband always roll down, the crotch never stays in place ... blah blah blah .. and the list seems to go on and on.

With all these ranting, it does makes one wonder if pantyhose were really for women? Women probably think that pantyhose was invented by men to "torture them. But I reckon, pantyhose were probably meant for anyone who want their legs to look and feel good. Historically, men first wore tights for warmth, then pantyhose came into the picture when ladies need to show some legs as the hems of skirts got shorter in the 1950s.

In recent times, some men have taken to wearing support pantyhose for leg health reasons. Apart from the support given to the legs, these men have also found that pantyhose are also giving their legs a smoother and nicer look. Wearing suntan coloured pantyhose, gives your legs an instant tan without going under the sun for long hours ... hence potentially reducing your risks of skin cancer. Wearing black opaque support pantyhose under work pants, meant that you can forget about wearing socks and at the same time get the support your legs need if you sit or stand for long hours at work.

How to make sure your pantyhose are comfortable to wear? For women and for men as well.

1. Sizing. This is very important if you want to feel comfortable and cool. Most pantyhose are sized according to height and then weight. Height will determine the length of the leg, while weight will likely determine the tightness of the hosiery. You will have to choose the size the fits your height and weight. If your size is between 2 sizes, then go 1 up (for more comfort) or go 1 down (if you prefer tighter fit).

2. Quality. Everyone wants quality at the cheapest price. However, good quality pantyhose usually do not come cheap (hardly below US$2 per pair). Even Hanes cost about $5 per pair. Low quality pantyhose are usually rough and does not fit like 2nd skin, which could be why women says pantyhose are uncomfortable to wear. Some good quality brands are Hanes, Solidea, Wolford, Levante, ActivSkin (for men), Gerbe, etc. Most European brands (like Solidea, Levante) are very good in quality.

3. Durability. How long the pantyhose last before it runs, be it due to carelessness or wear n tear? Pantyhose comes in various thickness, measured in deniers (den in short). The lower the denier, the sheerer the pantyhose and the more delicate the pantyhose. The higher the denier, the less sheer and more durable the pantyhose. Pantyhose of 20den to 40den offers a balance of sheerness and durablility. Apart from the thickness, keeping your toe and finger nails well trimmed are ways to improve the durability of your pantyhose.

Pantyhose is just another piece of legwear, like leggings, tights. When paired properly (skin tone colours, non-floral patterns), even men can look masculine in them.

Another hosed outing to the cinema

Had booked tickets to watch 2 movies the past 3 days ... as usual, was dressed in T-shirt, 3/4 bermudas and of course suntan support hosiery. These were newly delivered from a recent order. The support on the legs was good.

This time was a little different from my previous outings. This time we were at the cinema early, and had to join in the long queue to collect out tickets. After that, it was some shopping around the brightly lit shopping centre. Even went to Royal Sporting House to browse the sales items. Ended up buying a pair of Adidas 3/4 fitness tights for exercise and ounging at home.

Seems like, as long as you behave normal, no one actually takes notice of what you wear on your legs. Not that I was wearing to get some attention to my legs. But it was nice to know that few actually bother to take a second look.

The support hose did its part of relieving leg aches and also provide the warmth in the cool cinema. 2 great nights at the cinema as the 2 movies were great ..... Taking of Pelham 123 and Ghost of Girlfriends Past.

Here's the video of the ActivSkin on TV

Here's the video. Way to go, Steve !!!!

Men, if you want better leg health, wear support hosiery/legwear, especially if you stand or sit for long hours. Don't wait till you have blood circulation problems to start wearing support hosiery/legwear. Start now to prevent it.

ActivSkin Legwear on TV

Oh yes, you read it right .... ActivSkin legwear (for men) is going to be featured on Columbus NBC affiliate, on the TV show called "Daytime Columbus" It's sort of a talk/variety show, hosted by one of their anchorwomen. It will be an opportunity to showcase and talk about ActivSkin legwear, and men's legwear trends in general.

Here's the schedule: 11:00am EDT on June 8th, June 22nd, and July 23rd. For the majority of you who are not in the Columbus DMA, you can view it live at: http://www.nbc4i.com//cmh/news/live_stream

If you can't watch live, the video is available afterward at: http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/online/daytime, and look for the video link related to the story. You should probably give it a day or so to appear there.

This is great news and a good chance to generate awareness of men wearing support pantyhose and other legwear. Hope that this will create awareness that men can and do wear pantyhose, and this will help in enhancing acceptance of men wearing pantyhose for comfort, leg support and fashion.